If you want to lose weight but have failed before, a new strategy might be the answer. It's easier to shed pounds and keep them off if you change your attitude and lifestyle in addition to what you put on your plate. More than food factors into successful weight loss.
Be Ready
Losing weight and keeping it off takes time and effort, so be sure you're ready to make permanent changes in your life, advises the Mayo Clinic. Altering habits is hard enough without being distracted by other major issues, such as marital or financial difficulties. You need to be ready mentally, or you can set yourself up for failure.
Set Goals
Set goals to keep yourself motivated, but make sure they're realistic. For instance, over the long term, aim for losing 1 to 2 lbs. a week, says the Mayo Clinic. Your goals also should be specific. For example, instead of using "start exercising" as a goal, focus on walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Stay Committed
Eating right and exercising for a few months will help you lose weight but won't keep the pounds off in the long run, warns the Mayo Clinic. You need to make healthy eating and physical activity part of your everyday life. Even so, you can expect an occasional setback when you'll eat poorly or skip your workouts. Rather than giving up, start fresh the next day.
Eat Smart
Eating healthy is simpler than you think. Fill half of your plate with vegetables, one-fourth with lean meat, poultry or fish and one-fourth with grains, advises the American Dietetic Association. To ensure that you're eating a variety of vegetables, and not just starchy ones, such as potatoes, aim for a colorful plate of food.
Get Moving
You can lose weight by dieting, but adding exercise to your daily schedule will help you shed the pounds faster and improve your health, too, according to Family Doctor. By working off an extra 500 calories a day, you'll burn 3,500 calories a week, and that equals 1 lb. The number of calories you expend depends on the intensity and duration of the physical activity. For instance, aerobic activities, such as running and swimming, burn more calories than leisurely walking.
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